


Late Night Confessions

by thewickedkings



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Oneshot, in which they're both pining idiots, kind of hate this now that i reread it, lol but i hope you like it, probably the fluffiest thing ive written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28100382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewickedkings/pseuds/thewickedkings
Summary: Jude and Cardan were just friends. At least that’s what Jude told herself.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 4
Kudos: 95





	Late Night Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "I think I’m in love with you and that scares me half to death."  
> Originally posted on my tumblr @/thewickedkings

Jude and Cardan were just friends. At least that’s what Jude told herself as she saw Cardan making his rounds through the party with another girl on his arm.

Their prestigious law firm Greenbriar & Co. was celebrating its 30th anniversary with an extravagant gala. Gleaming chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the spacious hall, with impeccably decorated tables evenly spaced out around the room. Waiters walked through the clusters of mingling guests, holding trays of drinks as light jazz music played in the background.

Cardan had complained about this being another pointless fancy dinner while the two of them were working on their latest assignment and even joked about ditching with her to get fast food. Jude hadn’t exactly opposed the idea. Yet now as she watched him charm the guests with Nicasia, Jude couldn’t help but feel that he fit in perfectly.

Nicasia was the daughter of Orlagh, the CEO of Greenbriar Industries’ partner company, and had practically grown up with Cardan. Jude couldn’t help but admit that the two made a striking pair. Nicasia wore a deep burgundy satin gown, with her midnight blue hair tied into an elegant updo. Cardan laughed at something she said, looking sickeningly handsome in his sleek black suit. Jude’s eyes latched onto the hand he had resting on Nicasia’s back, his rings gleaming in the light.

She looked away, suddenly interested in the drink in her hand and not the painful squeezing in her chest. Jude sunk into the crowd, already wishing for this night to be over.

Jude forced herself to mingle with the guests, slipping into her cool and collected mask. Having conversation with these people was all a game, one Jude had learned to play long ago. But today, as she talked to the CEO of another supposedly prestigious company, she didn’t have the energy. She quickly pulled away from the conversation and made her way to the luxurious bar. With a drink in hand and back to the party, she finally let herself rest her guard.

“Nice dress,” a voice said behind her, a voice she’d become so familiar with over the past few months.

Jude swallowed the rest of her drink in a single gulp before responding. “Thanks.”

“What, no compliment for me?” Cardan stepped to her side, his teasing grin so effortlessly charming that she had to look away.

When Jude and Cardan had first been assigned to work on projects together, she’d found his easygoing nature and charm aggravating. It had been completely at odds with her personality, and she had expected their partnership to explode in their faces.

Except they’d worked so surprisingly well together, tackling projects faster than Jude had with any other. They had an undeniable work chemistry: Cardan was surprisingly attentive and able to get people to talk to him, while Jude was the planner. Eventually, despite Jude’s original wishes, they kept getting paired together for projects until they had become an inseparable team.

She remembered all too well how he had slowly wormed his way into her good graces. A quick meetup at a coffee shop had turned into getting takeout together at midnight in her crammed apartment while working on a case. Over time, she’d come to look forward to their teasing banter, the sly looks they’d share when Locke said something particularly obnoxious in one of their meetings. And somehow, without Jude realizing it, Cardan Greenbriar, the last person she’d ever expect, had become her best friend. 

And now… well now, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could handle being just his best friend.

“Well?” Cardan said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“I think you’ve already gotten enough compliments for one day.” She gestured vaguely to the rest of the room, only slightly bitter.

“What if I only want your compliments?”

“Then you’ll be disappointed, won’t you?” Her words lacked her usual playfulness and came out wearier than she intended.

His gently grasped her arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?” The warmth of his palm against her skin sent feelings she didn’t want to think about fluttering to her, and his proximity certainly didn’t help.

She swallowed. “Nothing.”

He gave her a pointed look. Damn him for always being able to read her so well.

She sighed, granting him a kernel of the truth. “I just can’t wait for this night to be over.”

“Okay, let’s get food, mingle with a couple more people, and then we can ditch and I’ll buy you a McFlurry,” he said, his voice softening in the way she loved.

In the way she loved.

She stumbled on her heels at the realization, and Cardan caught her by the waist, winking at her playfully before letting go. She let him lead her to the food table, dazed by both his touch and the realization that had just hit her.

She was in love with Cardan Greenbriar.

In hindsight, she should have seen it coming. It was glaringly obvious: from their playful banter, the inside jokes, and their shared obsession with Avatar to the genuine fun she had when she was with him. But it was also in the more serious things: in his little nudges to make sure she ate when she got too engrossed in a case, and in how quickly he had dropped everything to check on her after she and her father got into another fight. It would have been hard not to fall for him.

How had she been so blind?

And suddenly she was angry at Cardan for making her fall in love with him, for making her care about him more than any boyfriend she’d ever had, when they weren’t anything more than friends. She was angry at herself for letting herself fall for someone she could never have, someone who would probably fall in love with someone more in his league.

She shook off his hand from her arm, attempting to reign in her burst of emotion. “You know what? I’ll get the food by myself.”

But when she saw Nicasia standing at the table, scooping some fancy desert into her plate, Jude paused and turned back around. Her brain had already started making up scenarios in which she would watch Cardan fall for someone else just like Nicasia until one day their friendship faded away and Jude only became a second thought to him. She didn’t think she could bear it, bear losing Cardan.

Another wave of emotion hit her and she… she had to get out. She quickly maneuvered through the crowds, ignoring everyone, and made her way to the exit. Before she could push the door, she heard him.

“Jude, wait up,” he called from behind her. She ignored him, pushing through the doors and into the crisp night air.

Still he followed. For once, she wished he wasn’t just as stubborn as she was. Once she reached the sidewalk, she finally slowed down, letting him catch up with her.

The streetlights cast a harsh shadow over his face. Her eyes dropped to his sharp jawline, moving to the tempting curve of his mouth before looking away.

“Jude, what the hell? You’re scaring me.” The words were sharp, but she heard the undercurrent of concern.

She fidgeted with her bracelet, still unable to meet his gaze.

She was in love with him. She was desperately and utterly in love with him and she would inevitably loose him. The pain in her eyes had him stepping closer, had him reaching out to touch her hand. “Hey, what is it?”

She pulled away, creating the very necessary distance between them. “Why don’t you go back and hang out with Nicasia?”

“Nicasia’s the one who told me to go after you. You two would like each other.” He scrunched his nose. “Actually, never mind, I can’t have both of you teamed up against me.” When she didn’t say anything his brow furrowed with concern. “Hey, come on, you can tell me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“So you just ran out of the party because of nothing?” he joked, brows raised.

“No, Cardan.”

“Then what?”

His question hovered in the silent echo of the parking lot. The darkness of the night hovered around her, and the moment somehow felt surreal, a bubble outside of reality. And maybe that was what finally gave her the courage to say it.

“I think I’m in love with you and it scares me half to death. There, you happy?”

Cardan froze completely. “What?” he finally responded, voice strained.

Naturally, Jude panicked. She fumbled backwards, stumbling over her gown in the effort to get away from him, from the rejection and humiliation that was sure to come.

“You’re in love with me?” Cardan asked, with a softness in his voice that stopped Jude in her tracks and left her defenseless.

She swallowed, letting out the inevitable truth. “Yes.”

When he blinked at her, still not reacting, Jude quickly blurted, “This doesn’t have to ruin our friendship. I shouldn’t have said anything. We can just both pretend this never happened, okay?”

That was all it took to get a reaction out of him.

And this time it was Cardan stumbling towards her, almost laughing, gently cradling her face with his palm. “Jude, I’ve been in love with you since the first case we ever did together.” His thumb brushed across her jaw so tenderly, and her heart stuttered in her chest, something like hope blooming inside her.

Cardan Greenbriar just told her he was in love with her, had been since their first case. Her brow furrowed in confusion. “That was 2 years ago, Cardan.”

Cardan was still grinning at her stupidly. “What?”

She thwacked his chest. “Our first case together. That was two years ago.”

Cardan buried his head in her neck, his lips warm against her skin, and she shivered. “Yes, I’m the loser who’s been pining after you for two whole years. What else is new?”

She laughed, covering her mouth. “Oh my god, I had no idea.”

Cardan pulled back slightly and gave her a wry look, eyes glimmering. “Trust me, I know.”

“You’re such an idiot,” she breathed, before pulling him forward by the lapels of his suit and kissing his gorgeous mouth. His arms immediately tightened around her, pulling her closer as he kissed her back hungrily, his lips warm and perfect and so so right against hers. She let her fingers tangle in his hair, something she’d secretly wanted to do for a long time.

When they pulled away from each other, they were both breathless, and she was pretty sure her lipstick was completely smeared.

Cardan’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Want to ditch?”

“Only if you get me that McFlurry.”

He leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips that promised more to come. “Deal.”


End file.
